Lost and Found
by Tokiya
Summary: In order to survive, Bontenmaru had thrown away his heart. If only there was someone to give it back.
1. Prologue

A/N: This story starts from Masamune's childhood when he still used his childhood's name (Bontenmaru).

* * *

**Prologue**

Kojuro hated those eyes. Where the right one had been was now covered by an eye patch. It was a cold reminder of that fateful day, in which the life of his young master had been ruthlessly changed for good, and all the spirits he had seen in the left one had vanished completely.

He hated the world for condemning the owner because of them. After the incident, nothing but pitying looks and scornful comments had been tossed in the boy's way. Even his mother Yoshihime had fled back to the Mogami clan after her son's tragedy. With only one eye, how could he be qualified as the Date clan's heir?

But most importantly, he hated himself for being unable to do anything about it. After Bontenmaru had lost half of his sight, he had erected invisible walls around him and had refused any contact with the outside world. The boy was still as dutiful and diligent as ever, but it seemed his soul had left him along with his right eye. Now he was merely a shell of his former self, a lifeless doll driven only by duty.

_'It might have been better if I hadn't had a heart.'_

The boy had commented in almost a whisper in his one and only moment of weakness.

Kojuro wished with all his soul to prove him wrong, but he had no idea how. For now, he could only watch over his master and do his best to educate him.

In order to survive, Bontenmaru had thrown away his heart. If only there was someone to give it back.


	2. Surprise

**A/N** About the ages: Bontenmaru is 9, Yukimura is 7, and Kojuro is 19. Please note that Yukimura is portrayed as a girl here.

* * *

**1\. Surprise**

The sun was fading away into the distant horizon, its streaks of soft orange and gold reflected by the lake blotted here and there with cherry blossom petals. A soft gust of spring wind blew past him, cooling his cheeks and running soothing fingers through his dark brown hair.

Bontenmaru stared blankly into the distance, his single eye registering nothing of the beautiful display of nature before him. Almost a month had passed since his right eye was ripped off his face, and gone with it were all his emotions. After his mother's abandonment, he rarely felt anything anymore. It was almost comforting though, that Kojuro had been enraged by the way everyone in the household had treated him. The fight between Kojuro and one of elder vassals replayed in his mind as he sat down on the lake bank. The old man had practically sneered at him, accusing him unsuitable as the heir of the clan. Kojuro's fist had effectively shut his mouth, and he had almost laughed at the expression of sheer shock on his wrinkled face. _Almost._

After the incident, Kojuro had dragged him out of the house to who-knew-where, cursing all the way about the _'god-damned poisonous attitude'_ that had been sprouting around the household. With his father gone away on business and his mother gone back to her original family, Kojuro seemed to not care to seek permission for this little trip, which had brought him here to the peace and quiet of nature.

Not that he did not appreciate his mentor's effort, but he could not see how merely changing their place of stay would solve anything. It was a little refreshing, however, to just simply be himself, not the perfect heir everyone expected of him, here where nobody knew who he was.

Their daily routine here was quite simple. Eat, study, eat, sword practice, eat, sleep. Now he had just finished the lessons for today and was taking a short break before dinner was ready.

It seemed, however, that today the deities had decided not to grant him this little moment of peace.

Suddenly, the hair on the back of his neck prickled as his muscles tensed on instinct. Before his mind could contemplate possible sources of this sudden tension, a voice cried out from far behind him.

"Watch out!"

Bontenmaru turned around just in time to see a wooden stick flying into his face, but not fast enough to dodge it. The offending piece of wood hit him squarely on his forehead, and his vision went black for a brief second form the sharp pain in his head. When the darkness receded, his breath was almost caught in his throat at a pair of big brown eyes staring at him worriedly form a very uncomfortable proximity. No one had ever invaded his personal space to this extent before.

"I'm so very sorry! Are you alright?"

He could feel gentle fingers carefully comb his hair away from his forehead as the eyes roamed about his face, probably searching for injuries. He stared back blankly as his mind took notes of this personal space intruder. From what little observation allowed in such vicinity, he quickly came to the conclusion that this was a girl, probably younger than him. Her slightly freckled cheeks were flushed, though from exercise or embarrassment he could not tell, and her brown hair shone softly in the sunset's last rays. What piqued his interest the most were her large brown eyes, so bright and clear with hints of gold in them. Those two orbs spoke of innocence and purity, something he rarely saw in the people around him.

"Your forehead is starting to bruise! I'm really sorry."

Her voice brought his mind back to his current situation, and he was reminded of their awkward position. Had no one taught this girl about the concept of personal space?

"Don't worry. I'm fine." He said flatly, hoping that she would be satisfied and retreat to a respectable distance.

The girl gave him no such reaction; instead, her eyes were now fixed on his own as a strange sort of silence fell between them. Resisting the urge to shift away uncomfortably, Bontenmaru stared back as he prepared to turn down yet another question about his eyes.

"What?"

The girl did not even flinch at his cold tone. Still staring at his single eye, she said in almost a whisper.

"Your eye is blue."

His mind went blank. "…Huh?"

Her eyes curved as she smiled at him. "It's beautiful."

Now he was truly at a loss for words. What did one say to such a comment?

Before his mind could regain its function, she backed away and stood up with surprising grace before giving him a deep bow.

"I apologize for my clumsiness. Please get well soon."

With those last words, she quickly picked up her wooden sticks – two _rokushakubou_s, he realized- and ran away. His eye followed her until she disappeared into the spreading darkness.

What a strange girl indeed.

* * *

**A/N2** Rokushakubou (六尺棒): A 1.8-m long wooden stick. Normally used for defense or in martial arts.


	3. Joy

**2\. Joy**

'_Your eye is blue. It's beautiful.'_

Although almost a day had passed since that bizarre encounter, those words still kept repeating in his mind. To anyone else, they would have sounded pretty normal and mundane, but for Bontenmaru, that statement was profound in its simplicity. That might have been the first time anyone, maybe except Kojuro, had seen him past all his status and handicap for who he was, and he did not know how he should feel about it.

The girl was full of puzzling contradictions. Despite her gender and size, she was dressed in a training _hakama_ and carried two sticks of wood that were much longer that her height. She seemed to have no qualms about invading his personal space, but at the same time was also ceremonious to the point that it was almost funny. Although her movements had a natural grace to them, she was clumsy enough to accidentally throw her wooden pole straight into his face.

What had puzzled him the most were her eyes. Those large brown orbs shown with pure innocence, but he thought he could see a hint of deep sorrow in them, which was not supposed to be there for a normal child of her age.

_What the heck…_

His gaze still fixed on the expanse of water before him, Bontenmaru shrugged against the sakura tree he was leaning on. As much as he was reluctant to admit it, the girl had piqued his curiosity, which was why he found himself taking a break before dinner at the same place as yesterday. Maybe she would be training around here today too. He just hoped that there would be no flying wooden sticks this time. One big bump on his forehead was more than enough. Last night, he had brushed off Kojuro's question about the bruise. Although his mentor had not pressed further, today he could felt his perceptive gaze on him all day.

"_Ano…_"

His head whipped around in surprise. Had he been so deep in thought as to be unaware of the presence behind him?

The girl from yesterday was standing several feet behind. Today, she was also dressed in a training hakama, but the _rokushakubou_s were nowhere to be seen.

"Good evening." She gave him a brief bow, her short pony tail swinging behind her head.

Mentally shaking his head at such a formality, he only nodded back in acknowledgement. "What are you doing here?"

"How is your forehead?" She asked shyly, her eyes now fixed on the bruised bump on his face.

He shrugged. "It's not that big a problem. Don't worry."

"I've brought you something." She reached into the sleeve of her _hakama_ and produced a small container. "This is an ointment for bruises. My family has been using this recipe for generations," she explained before presenting it to him with both hands. "I would be happy if you would accept it."

He stared at the offered package in surprise. She came all the way here just to give him this? "Uh.. Thanks."

Her lips curved into a smile as he picked the container from her outstretched hands. "Thank you, _ano_… Would you honour me with your name?"

For a brief second, he considered whether he should tell her or not, but on the second thought, what harm could result from it?

"Bontenmaru."

"Thank you, Bontenmaru-dono. I'm Sanada Yukimura. Pleased to meet you."

The corners of his lips lifted into a ghost of a smile. "You don't have to be so formal, you know."

Her head angled to the side curiously. "Really?"

"Just call me as you like, Sanada."

Her brow creased in thought for a moment before her eyes lightened up. "Bon-chan, then?"

_Huh…?_

His jaw almost dropped as his mind ceased to function for a brief moment. Before he knew it, soft laughter escaped his lips before increasing in volume, and eventually, to his astonishment, he found himself in a laughing fit.

How long had it been since he had laughed like this?

Sanada was staring at him incredulously, probably wondering what he found so funny. It seemed that with only one word of permission from him, all the formalities were gone from this strange girl.

Trying to suppress his laughter and mostly failing, he said to the pouting girl. "You're quite interesting, you know?"

Her head angled to the side again in curiosity; maybe this was her habit. "Is that so?"

He chose not to comment further on the subject. "It's getting dark. You should be heading back now."

"Okay… I hope your bruise will heal soon." Sanada turned on her heels and started to walk away, but after a few steps, she stopped in her tracks and looked back over her shoulder. "Um… See you tomorrow?"

His brow quirked up in surprise. Then he thought about the wooden sticks that had been the cause for all of this, and wondered what she had been doing with them.

"Bring your _rokushakubou_s."

She seemed surprised by his suggestion, but then her eyes crinkled in a smile. "Alright."

Her smile was infectious, he decided as he felt the corners of his lips quirk upwards. His single eye followed her until she disappeared into the spreading darkness.

The smile had felt foreign on his face, and he tried to recall when the last time it had reached his eyes was.


	4. Anger

**3\. Anger**

"Why do you practice _Sōjutsu_?"

Bontenmaru asked out of nowhere after their sparring. After his lessons had been over for the day, he had come here as promised in the previous evening, to find the girl waiting for him at the same spot with two long wooden sticks in hand. As it had turned out, Sanada had not betrayed his expectation. She had even come close to beating him at some point, but he had won anyway. Now exhausted to the bone, he laid down on the thick grass with the girl sitting a few feet away, and together they watched the last rays of the day play with the expanse of water before them.

Her shoulders tensed subtly. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious."

A short silence ensued as her expression turned thoughtful, telling him that her attempts did not result from a decision made out of a whim. She was probably considering how much to tell him as they had known each other for only a few days.

"To surpass my father." Her voice was soft, almost like a whisper.

"Hm?"

She was not looking at him. Instead, her eyes were fixed on the lake, which was glimmering in the sunset. "My father is said to be one of the best spearmen in the country."

"But why two spears?" Spears had been common weapons from a very long time ago, but he had never heard of anyone using two spears before, which was not a very surprising fact considering their weight and size.

"My father… He uses only one."

"So?"

She fell silent for another moment. "If I can use two, he might finally recognize me."

That was not the answer he had expected. He sat up and turned his gaze to her, silently urging her to continue.

Bringing her knees closer to her chest with her arms wrapped around them, her gaze turned inward, and she stared off into the lake.

"My parents were expecting a boy. Even my name had been decided before I was born."

Well, that explained why her name was not quite so… womanly.

"I heard that my father had always wanted a son, but…"

She finally turned her face to him, a sad smile curving her lips. "Here I am …at the cost of my mother's life."

He stared at her in shocked silence as his mind put all the pieces together.

"I don't know what my father was like before I was born, but everyone says he has changed a lot after her death."

"Does that explain those bruises on your face?"

"Eh?" Her eyes widened slightly at the sudden turn of conversation.

"They were not there yesterday."

"Oh, these?" She laughed nervously, obviously trying to brush off his comment. "You know how clumsy I am, right?"

At this point, Bontenmaru was quite certain now that those injuries had nothing to do with her clumsiness, but if she did not wish to talk about it now, then he would not press further. He had the feeling that this was the first time she had ever talked to anyone about this matter. "You can talk about it when you want to."

Nervousness melted away from her face, replaced by a warm look shining from her eyes. "Thank you, Bon-chan, but they're really nothing serious."

He shrugged nonchalantly. "If you say so."

Rising to his feet, he brushed away the dirt from his clothes and picked up his _bokutō_. "It's getting late now. Let's go home."

"Okay." The girl got up and slung her _rokushakubō_s over her shoulder. "See you tomorrow then."

His eye followed her retreating back until she disappeared into the dusk as he had been doing in the past two days. Now he knew where the veil of sadness in her innocent eyes had come from.

Bontenmaru was calm on the outside, but inwardly many emotions started to surface all at once, the most obvious one being anger. He was angry at the world and its stupid unfairness, where weak people were condemned and trampled on unreasonably.

But most of all, he was angry at himself for being unable to do anything about it.

* * *

**Glossary**

_Sōjutsu_ (槍術) : Japanese martial art of fighting with a Japanese spear

_bokutō _(木刀) : Japanese wooden sword used for training


	5. Determination

**4\. Determination**

'_See you tomorrow then.'_

The girl had said those words three days ago, and he had not seen her face since then.

On the first day, he had just shrugged it off. Maybe she had other pressing matters to attend to. On the second day, her absence had started to nag his mind. Maybe she had decided that she had told him too much and had needed some time alone, upon which he had no intention to intrude. But when she had not showed up today, now he was downright worried. The bruises on her face were burned clearly in his mind. Had that bastard of a father done something he should not have?

Bontenmaru felt a presence approaching from behind, but he did not have to turn around to see who it was.

"You're concerned about the girl." It was not a question, but a statement.

So Kojuro had already known about his new acquaintance then. Considering how perceptive the man was, he was not surprised. He did not answer. There was no need to.

"She's a Sanada, isn't she?"

Now _that_ surprised him. Still sitting against a sakura tree on the lake bank, he turned his gaze to his mentor. "How did you know?"

Kojuro was looking at him with a strange look in his eyes. Was the fading light of the sunset playing tricks on him? "I saw the crest on the container."

Unwilling to let him see the concern in his eye any further, he turned it back to the lake. "What do you know about the Sanada?"

"They lived in Ueda Castle not far from here."

Now he knew where to find her. Should he go to see her tomorrow just to make sure she was all right? …Wait, why did he state it in past tense?

"It was burnt to the ground three days ago."

His head whipped around in shock, all the color gone from his face. "Huh? You've got to be kidding!"

Kojuro shook his head, his stoic face utterly serious. "I heard about it in town this morning."

It was more likely that the man had purposefully gone into town for information than for normal errands. Bontenmaru went very still, his heart freezing in his chest. He still could not wrap his mind around the news.

"A girl was taken into a nearby Christian hospital after that night."

That was enough to put him into motion. Without a word, he sprang to his feet and went to find his horse. Kojuro followed him in silence.

* * *

The moon was already high in the sky when he barged into the hospital, ignoring the staff's protest in broken Japanese not to disturb their patients - he made a mental note in the back of his mind to learn some of the foreign language later just to shut them up when the need arose. It was a bit difficult to see in the dim room, but finally he spotted her in a bed at the far end of the room. Pale moonlight steamed through a nearby window, softly illuminating her brown hair and eyes. An enormous weight was lifted from his chest as he confirmed that it was really Sanada Yukimura, not some unknown girl.

She was wearing simple white clothes. Bandages peeked from the collar and the sleeves, and some were wrapped around her forehead. Her face was pale, marred by cuts here and there. What made his stomach churn most was the look in her eyes. Those brown orbs, once shining with fiery spirit and innocence, were now reduced to two empty voids staring blankly at the hands in her lap. She did not even move an inch as he approached.

The girl jolted violently, her eyes widening in alarm as a hand was placed on her shoulder, but when she noticed who it was, some of the tension was gone from her body.

"Bon-chan." She gave him a broken smile, and he started to feel sick despite himself.

"What happened?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't keep the promise."

His brow creased in frustration. She could have broken as many promises as she liked and he could not care less. "What happened?"

The smile was gone from her face as her eyes dropped to her hands again. He never knew that silence could be so deafening as he waited for her answer. After what felt like a small eternity, she finally opened her mouth, her voice almost a whisper. "My father… He got drunk, and…"

She trailed off and took a deep breath.

"Everyone tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen…"

Her explanation stopped there, but that was all he needed to put the pieces together. At a loss for words, he gently squeezed her shoulder, offering what little comfort he could give.

"I don't know if anybody was as lucky as I was."

She was still looking at her lap. Following her gaze, he noticed that there was something in her hands. It looked like a remnant of a necklace.

It seemed the girl had heard his unasked question. She unfolded her hands to allow him a full view of the object. He immediately recognized the pendants - what looked like six metal coins were almost identical to the _Rokumonsen_ crest on the container she had given him."My father always wore this. I don't know how it survived the fire, but someone found it yesterday."

Another heavy silence fell between them as her gaze turned inward.

"Ne, Bon-chan."

"Hm?"

"Where do I go from here?"

He was puzzled by the question for a brief moment before its meaning dawned on him. There was a strange ache in his heart as he thought about it. She had been striving for her father's acceptance all her life, but now he was gone in the cruelest way. She must be feeling as lost as he had felt when he had lost his eye, when he had felt that his life had lost its purpose.

"Surpass him."

Her eyes swept to his face. "Eh?"

"Not the bastard that demolished the entire clan, but the man you have always respected and esteemed in your heart."

"Bon-chan..."

Squeezing her shoulder again, he vowed softly. "Until then, I will protect you."

She stared at him wide-eyed for a moment, and he stared back into those big brown orbs, now not quite so empty anymore. Suddenly, crystal-clear droplets started to fall from the corners of her eyes. They slid down her cheeks and fell onto her hands.

"Eh?"

She looked down at the tears on her hands in surprise. Maybe this was the first time she had cried in many years. Not knowing what to do, he followed his instinct and tentatively wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He felt her stiffen for a brief second, but then she relaxed and slowly hugged him back.

"Come with me." He whispered to the crown of her head.

She nodded against his shoulder. "…Arigato."

* * *

After the girl had cried herself to sleep, he exited the hospital to find Kojuro waiting for him.

"As soon as she's ready, we're going back." He said to his mentor without preamble.

The rare sight of a surprised Kojuro greeted him. "She's coming with us?"

"Ah."

The man gave him a thoughtful look, but said nothing more. Together, they rode in silence back to their temporary home.

For the first time after his eye had gone blind, Bontenmaru felt alive again. As the one who had experienced first hand how unfair and cruel the world could be, he would change it all. He would create a world where everyone could embrace hope and find happiness.

Everyone had deemed him useless as the successor of the clan.

He would prove them wrong.

* * *

**Glossary**

_Rokumonsen_ (六文銭): a Japanese family crest of six coins. It became famous with Sanada's name.


	6. Trust

**A/N** About the ages: Masamune 15, Yukimura 13.

* * *

**5\. Trust**

The moon was shining in the velvet darkness, accompanied by countless stars. Cool breezes played with the trees and flowering plants in the garden, and the _koi_ pond was glimmering softly in the moonlight.

The peaceful scenery instilled a sense of tranquility in him as he sat on the _engawa_ with his back against the opened _shoji_ door.

Tomorrow would be his first war, his first chance to actually prove himself. He would not fail. He could not fail.

Soft footsteps approached him from behind, but he did not turn around to see who it was. During the past six years, her presence had become as familiar as his own.

"Masamune-dono."

There was only one person who addressed him with that honorific. Yukimura had been calling him like that since the day of his _genpuku_ four years ago. Although it was much more formal than his previous nickname, the familiar warmth and fondness in her tone were still there.

She was wearing a simple sleeping _yukata_. Her long brown hair was out of her usual ponytail, framing her face and spilling down her shoulders.

"Yuki?"

She dropped down beside him without permission, and he did not bother to give one. "Nice night, isn't it?"

"Ah. That full moon is probably celebrating my first battle tomorrow."

At those words, her shoulders tensed subtly, and her gaze dropped to her lap for a moment, her hair shielding her expression from his eye. He was about to demand what was wrong when she looked up. The gleam in her eyes told him how serious she was.

"I have a request."

His brow quirked up in mild surprise. Since she came here, she had rarely asked for anything, always accepting what was or was not there. "Hm?"

"Please allow me to accompany you tomorrow."

"Huh?"

"I.. I want to be there and watch out for you."

Even in the dark, there was no mistaking the pleading look in her eyes. Those eyes were no less clear and pure than the day they first met. Someday she would finally be out there in the battlefields, and he would by lying to himself to say that he wasn't looking forward to seeing her deadly dance. However, he did not want those eyes, now finally recovering from the tragedy six years ago, to be tainted by the sadness from killing yet.

"I appreciate your feelings, but no."

The hurt in her eyes almost made him feel guilty. "Why?"

"It's not time for you yet."

"But..."

"I said no." If anything happened to her, he would not be able to forgive himself. Honestly, he did not think that she would be taken down so easily. In their sparring nowadays, they fought almost as equals. But still, who in their sane mind would willingly send a thirteen-year-old girl into a war?

Her expression was desperate now. "But I just can't sit around and wait!"

He sighed. It was kind of nice to know that she cared for him this much, but her stubbornness was getting irritating. "Yuki..."

"...You don't trust me?"

That took him by surprise. Didn't he trust her? He had never actually thought about that, but now that it was mentioned, the answer was instantly in his mind.

_That was quite a stupid question._ He was about voice that thought aloud, but then he bit it back. This girl had been abused by the one person she had loved and esteemed for half of her life. It could not be helped if she had some insecurity issues.

He sighed again, and his eye softened as he looked at her. "I trust you with my life."

Her eyes widened as she stared at him in utter surprise.

"But you have to trust me too."

"But..." There still were traces of worry in her voice.

"I'll be fine."

She looked intently into his eye as a brief silence fell over them.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

He did not know what she saw in him, but the worry melted away from her silhouette as her eyes crinkled in a smile. Despite himself, he found his lips curving up in return.

Now there was one more reason he could not lose. He had asked her to trust him, and he would not betray that trust.

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment before she spoke up again.

"Masamune-dono."

"Hm?"

"Would you grant me a favor?"

Today was definitely a weird day. "What is it?"

"Close your eye for a minute, please."

"?" Perplexity filled his mind at her odd request, but he closed his eye anyway.

His bewilderment increased at a mild scent of soap drifting to his nose. Suddenly, he felt something very soft and warm pressed to his left cheek, and his eye flew open just in time to see her face less than an inch away from his.

Had she just done what he thought she had? Masamune felt like his brain might just have died as his mind went completely blank.

The girl hastily retreated to a respectable distance, her face now as red as Kojuro's tomatoes. "Kita-dono told me that that's for good luck."

He hadn't known Kojuro's older sister was such a sly woman. And Yukimura was just so... Yukimura to actually believe such an advice.

"Didn't she tell you one side isn't enough?"

"...Eh!? Really?"

The girl looked like she was about to faint from absolute embarrassment. Although a bit misled, he was touched by her effort.

A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he reached out to ruffle her hair. "Just kidding."

"Masamune-dono!" It suddenly occurred to him that that pout on her lips was the very definition of adorable. Masamune mentally shook his head, clearing away that peculiar thought. Maybe it was time to rest now.

It seemed the girl could sense the subtle change in his mood. The pout turned into one of her infectious smiles as she shyly leaned forward and pressed another light kiss onto his right cheek.

Masamune would personally see to it that Kita's precious flower garden perished in the cruelest way.

"There. Good luck for tomorrow."

Or maybe he would not.

"... Thanks."

* * *

**Glossary**

_Genpuku_（元服）：an historical Japanese coming-of-age ceremony dating back to the 7th or 8th century


	7. Grief

**A/N** About the ages: Masamune 18, Yukimura 16.

* * *

**6\. Grief**

Masamune sat alone in his quarters. He had no idea how much time had passed since his father's funeral this morning. Judging from the light streaming through the _shoji_ door, it was probably somewhere before dusk.

After the ceremony, he had come back straight to his room and dropped down to the floor, his facade of indifference gone from his face. Staring at his hands, yesterday's horrible chain of events kept replaying in his mind, and his father's final words rang in his head again and again.

_The sky was clear and the weather was temperate. Masamune was out hunting with Kojuro, and the day proceeded as normally as any other day until the news reached him - his father was kidnapped by Hatakeyama Yoshitsugu, the lord of the adjacent land. _

_Masamune immediately led an army to rescue his father. When they finally caught up the enemy in Takadahara, that Yoshitsugu bastard was waiting for him with a blade against his father's neck, demanding their absolute surrender._

_The Date army instantly fell into turmoil at the shocking demand. It was the voice of none other than the hostage that silenced them all. _

_"__Kill me, Masamune!" _

_Although his face remained impassive, his heart froze at his father's words. All color was gone from Yukimura's face as her grip on the spears shook. Even Kojuro was obviously shaken by the situation. His voice shook as he turned to his young master for decision. If they chose the life of their lord, Date would surely perish, but if they chose the clan's safety, their lord would die. This was a decision no vassals could make. "Masamune-sama?"_

_Masamune did not have a ready answer either. The only man he had ever esteemed was completely at the enemy's mercy. Could he trade his father's life with those of the entire army? _

_His father shouted across the field. "From now on, __you're the clan leader! There'll be times of difficult decisions. Choose wisely!"_

_Masamune made the decision. _

_He wordlessly took a bow from a nearby soldier and took aim. _

_"__Masamune!"_

_At his father's cry, he released the arrow. It flew across the distance and precisely pierced through his father's left chest. _

_Date Terumune died instantly. _

_A deafening silence fell over the field before his first command as the clan leader broke it._

_"__Kill them all!"_

A soft knock on his door startled him out of depressing recollection. His brow creased in displeasure. He was not in the mood to interact with anybody now.

"Go away."

The door was slid open slightly anyway, and thin rays of evening sun streamed into the room. A pair of familiar brown eyes peeked from the gap.

"Masamune-dono." Yukimura called out softly, her shadowed face creasing with worry.

"What do you want?"

"Can I come in?"

Knowing her stubbornness, she probably would not go away until he let her in. He sighed and nodded wordlessly. She slid the door open further to let herself in before shutting it, and the room was dim again. There was a tray of food in her hands.

"You haven't eaten anything since yesterday."

He shrugged. "I'm not hungry."

She slowly approached him and knelt down to place the tray on the floor, the black clothes of her kimono flowing with her movement. He fixed his gaze on one of the crests woven near the joint of the sleeve and waited for her to leave; the last thing he needed now was her seeing how shaken he was by what had transpired in the previous day.

After a brief moment of uncomfortable silence, she tentatively reached for his hand. He quickly jerked it away.

"Don't."

"Masamune-dono?"

"Don't touch it."

"Why?"

"Do you need to ask? I've just killed my father with these goddamned hands!"

"Masamune-dono..."

Slowly, she reached out again with both hands, and took his hand into hers. This time he did not protest. He had warned her, and if she would not listen, then it was her business.

She said nothing further, just sitting there with her hands wrapped around his. Her warmth was a painful reminder that all of this was not just a nightmare.

Suddenly, it occurred to him what a strange combination they were. One almost had been killed by her father, and the other had ended his father's life with his own hands.

An ironic smirk curved his lips, and before he knew it, the question that had been occupying his mind since yesterday was out of his mouth.

"Have I done the right thing?"

She squeezed his hand gently. "From the look on his face, I think you have."

Her words hit him like a rock. His father had been a stoic man with few words and even fewer smiles, but in the last moment of his life, a genuine smile had graced his lips, and the look of peace and contentment had remained on his face even after his death.

"He was proud of you."

His widened eye swept from the crest to her face.

She gave him a sad smile. "From the way he had looked at you, I think he always had been."

To his consternation, his eye became hot and fuzzy as his vision started to blur from an unfamiliar wetness. He tried to blink it back but to no avail. A lone tear fell from his eye, leaving a trail down his cheek.

Was he crying?

Masamune could not recall when the last time he had cried was. His eye had remained dry even when his mother had left him for good. As the heir of the clan, he had never allowed himself such weakness, but now the tears started to fall freely on their own and he could not stop them.

Not wanting her to see such display of weakness, he turned his face away from her and started to rise to his feet, but he stopped at the tug on his hand. He hadn't noticed that she was still holding it firmly.

Touching his chin, she gently urged his gaze back to her face. To his surprise, her eyes were now suspiciously wet.

"It's just me, Masamune-dono."

Bewildered, he tentatively brushed a droplet from her cheek. The first and last time he had seen her cry was the night he had found her in the hospital almost a decade ago, and he had decided then that he did not like it at all. "Why are you crying?"

She smiled through her tears. "Because someone should... for you."

Was she crying for him?

Masamune was at a loss for how he should feel or what he should say. However, there was one thing he was certain of now.

No matter what happened, as long as Yukimura was by his side, he would somehow be okay.


	8. Fear

**A/N** About the ages: Masamune 18, Yukimura 16, Kojuro 28.

* * *

**7\. Fear**

The room was dim with only a single candle shining softly in the corner. Everything was quiet except for the sound of the doctor gathering his things. With Kojuro sitting silently at his side and Yukimura pale and unconscious in the _futon_, the silence was almost unbearable.

After explaining Yukimura's condition to them, the doctor took leave.

"It seems she'll not be working in your garden for quite some time." He commented offhandedly.

Kojuro did not answer. Even though the man had remained silent through the entire evening, Masamune could tell that he was probably as upset as he was himself. At some point of time during the past nine years, the stoic strategist had come to love this girl like his own sister.

"Kojuro, you were against this campaign at Hitotoribashi, weren't you?"

"Masamune-sama?"

"I thought it was a good chance to unify Oshu all at once."

"As a result, Date has conquered Oshu..."

"But at what cost?", he cut him off. "The sacrifice this time was the greatest one we've experienced so far. And on top of that..." He trailed off, his eye fixed on the girl's pale face.

His grip on his knees tightened. "Maybe I should have listened to you."

"Masamune-sama..."

They sat together in heavy silence for a moment, their gaze on the unconscious form of a girl who had somehow become a significant part of their lives.

"Today, you had a glimpse into a real sense of loss."

"..."

"Even if we win the war, if there's nobody left to share the joy with, then there's no meaning."

Staring at her pale complexion, he did not respond. The moment when she had jumped out of nowhere to take the blow for him and the goddamned sword had pierced through her body kept replaying in his head, and despite himself, he was beginning to feel sick.

Kojuro said nothing more and left the room probably to let him ruminate his last comment in silence.

Masamune did not know how long he had sat there beside her _futon_ until the only candle in the room burned out. Shaking his head, he stood up and prepared to leave. Even if he managed to burn a hole into her blanket with only his eye, it would not speed up her recovery. Just when he was about to slide the door open, a weak, hoarse voice called out softly from behind.

"Masamune-dono?"

His head whipped around in surprise. Had her consciousness returned already?

He quickly walked back to her side and dropped down to his knees. The girl looked like she was ready to faint any moment except for her eyes. Even in the dark, he could see that they were as lucid and clear as ever, and a small sigh of relief escaped his lips. There had been a brief moment he had feared that he would not see those brown eyes open again.

"How are you feeling?"

She tried to laugh and failed miserably. "Fine, I guess. Are you alright?"

His brow creased in distress. "You should be asking yourself that question."

Before he knew it, his hand reached out on its own to her forehead. It was cold with sweat. "…I'm sorry."

Her eyes widened. "For what?"

"Are you stupid?"

She smiled weakly at him. "Don't be. That was my own choice."

"You could have died!"

"But you wouldn't, and that was all I wanted." Raising a shaky hand to his, she continued softly, "A world without you means nothing to me."

"Yuki..."

"Do you remember that night?"

How could he forget?

"You gave me a reason to live. And because of that, you've become a part of it."

That left him completely at a loss for words. Did she really think that her life was for him?

Always calm and collected except in the heat of battles, Masamune rarely feared anything, but terror had filled his mind and driven away all his thoughts when she had fallen right in front of him. Merely recalling her bloodied and unconscious form was starting to make his stomach churn.

He gripped her hand, his voice thick with emotions. "Then live for me."

It seemed his demand had taken her by surprise. She looked into his single eye in dumbfounded silence for a moment. Then the corners of her lips curved upward.

"I'll try my best."


	9. Love

**A/N **About the ages: Masamune 19, Yukimura 17.

* * *

**8\. Love**

Yukimura was avoiding him. To be precise, she had been doing so for three days now.

When they met in the hallways, she still greeted him as usual, but the normality ended there. She would cut him off even before he could speak up and literally ran away to who knew where. And there had not been a single time she had look straight into his eye.

This absurd avoidance was getting on his nerves.

_What the hell._

Well, to be honest, he knew what the cause was, but he had no idea _why_.

All of this nonsense had begun with that letter from the Tamura clan.

* * *

_Sweeping his eyes over the letter for the nth time of the day, he sighed irritably. "This is stupid."_

_"What's stupid?"_

_The fearsome One-eyed Dragon almost jumped out of his skin as his head whirled around to find Yukimura standing behind him with a small wooden tray in her hands. Just when had she gotten this good at sneaking up on people? He succeeded in keeping a straight face anyway. _

_She knelt down and placed the tray on his desk. "I brought you some tea."_

_"Uh, thanks." _

_"What's stupid, Masamune-dono?"_

_"Nothing important." _

_"Then why do you look so... um, upset?"_

_"Just a missive from the Tamura." He carelessly folded the paper and threw it on the desk._

_She looked at the crumbled piece of paper curiously. "Can I see it?"_

_"Suit yourself." He shrugged and reached for the steaming tea._

_She picked up the letter and carefully unfolded it. _

_Masamune had lost his interest and proceeded to work on other documents. The sound of his scribbling filled the room as they sat together in silence. _

_After several minutes, she folded the letter and placed it back onto his desk. "What do you think?"_

_"Hm?"_

_"About their offer."_

_"What do you think of it?" He shot the question back to her. _

_"Ano... have you met this Megohime?"_

_"A few times when I was a child."_

_"What was she like?"_

_"I don't remember much."_

_"..."_

_When she said nothing further, he offered more information, his hand still working its way through the documents. Maybe talking with someone about this would lessen the irritation bubbling in his mind. _

_"An agreement had almost been made between our parents."_

_He felt her surprised gaze on him. "Almost?"_

_"But after I lost my eye, it was forgotten. That was fine with me though. It's not their fault they didn't want a half-blinded brat for their daughter."_

_"Masamune-dono..."_

_"But now that Date's ruling Oshu, they want to renew the offer." He scoffed. "What a convenient timing."_

_"Does anyone know about this?"_

_"The elders said I should accept it."_

_"Why?"_

_His lips curved downward in distaste. "They probably think it's about time I start producing some heirs"_

_"What!?" To his amusement, she spluttered in embarrassed shock._

_"Plus, she's rumored to be quite a beauty. Ha! As if I'd care."_

_"Then don't accept it!"_

_His hand stilled as he turned his eye to her in surprise. She rarely said anything in that tone. "Yuki?"_

_The girl seemed to remember herself as she averted her eyes sheepishly._

_"Forgive me. I forgot my place."_

_His face creased in bewilderment. Now she probably looked even more upset than him. Why?_

_"I should be going now." Still looking flustered, she got up swiftly. _

_He did not know how it happened, but in her haste, she somehow tripped and fell over him. _

_In that moment, time stopped. _

_Her warm breath washing over his cheeks and her fringe tickling his skin, now she was nearly nose to nose to him. Hints of gold in her brown eyes reminded him of the first time they had met, and he noticed that the freckles on her cheeks were almost gone. Her pale skin was marred here and there by several faded scars, telling of the hard life she had led. _

_She was so beautiful. _

_His single eye dropped to her full lips, now slightly apart. As he closed their distance, her eyes started to flutter close. _

_A loud clap of thunder rang from outside, and the moment was lost. _

_Her face as red as a strawberry, she quickly extracted herself from him and rose to her feet. Before his mind could comprehend what had and had not happened, she was gone from his quarters. _

_The splattering sound of the rain rang loudly in his ears, and the tea laid forgotten long into the evening._

* * *

Why was she so upset as to avoid him to this extent?

The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. Shaking his head, he grabbed his sword and headed for the small shrine where he always practiced.

Upon arriving, he immediately noticed the figure sitting on the small rock stairs in front of the wooden structure.

Yukimura was staring absently at the expanse of crops beyond the fence, her arms wrapped around her knees. Now she looked almost like a lost puppy.

"Yo."

The girl was startled by his voice. He could see panic in her widened eyes as she looked up to find him approaching.

Quickly getting up, she nodded in acknowledgement. "Masamune-dono."

He gestured at the sword in his hand. "Wanna spar?"

She shook her head. "Maybe next time. I'm not feeling well today."

His brow creased in irritation. "You haven't been feeling well for the past three days, it seems."

"Please don't worry. It's nothing." With that, she turned around and started to walk away.

"What's the matter?"

Her footsteps stopped, but her back was still turned to him. "It's nothing serious."

He had had enough of this nonsense. It must end here.

"I don't appreciate talking to people's back, you know."

"Then please don't bother to." With that, she resumed walking again.

Frustrated irritation flashed through his mind as his hand shot out to grab her arm faster than the eye could see. Couldn't she listen to him for just a moment?

Forcefully pulling on her arm, he turned her around to face him properly. From her flushed cheeks and creased brow, she was apparently upset.

"What's your problem?"

She looked at him for a brief second before averting her gaze. That was enough for him to guess the cause of her distress.

Her eyes still determinedly fixed on anything but him, she asked in almost a whisper. "What am I to you?"

What was she to him?

What kind of question was that?

Although he had never given that a serious thought, at least he knew that she was an indispensable part of his life.

What was she to him?

_'Your eye is blue. It's beautiful.'_

'_Bon-chan, then?'_

'_Thank you, Bon-chan, but they're really nothing serious.'_

'_Where do I go from here?'_

'_Kita-dono told me that that's for good luck.'_

'_Because someone should... for you.'_

'_You gave me a reason to live. And because of that, you've become a part of it.'_

Thinking about the past ten years with her in his life, he found that the answer was already there.

Touching her chin, he urged her eyes back to his face. "You want to know?"

Before she could reply, he grabbed her hand and placed it over his heart. "Here."

"Masamune… dono…?"

"I had lost it once, and you gave it all back." A rare gentle smile graced his lips. "There's nothing to fret about, you see?"

Staring at him with her widened eyes, she seemed at a loss for words. Then her lips started to tremble, and to his surprise, a few droplets fell down her cheeks.

"Hey, don't cry!"

A soft laughter escaping her lips, she shook her head. "Sorry, I… I'm just…. happy."

He let go of her hand to ruffle her hair. "What a crybaby."

"Masamune-dono!" Masamune had never known a pout could be so endearing.

Suddenly, she seemed to remember something as her head tilted to the side in mild distress. "What are you going to do about the Tamura?"

"Oh, about that? I'll just tell them I'm engaged already."

Fine eyebrows shot up behind her fringes. "Eh!? With whom?"

A small smirk tugged at his lips. Sometimes, she could be a bit too slow. "You."

"Huh? Since when?" He almost laughed at the absolute confusion on her face. Yukimura looked like she was about to faint now.

"Now."

Before she could reply, he leaned forward and kissed her.


	10. Doubt

**9\. Doubt**

His eyelid was heavy, but his entire body felt even heavier, and the nauseating lightheadedness was almost unbearable. When he finally managed to open his eye, the first thing that came to his mind was that the ceiling was unfamiliar.

Where was he?

Lying in the dark room, he tried to recall what had happened before he ended up here.

The first thing he could remember before everything had gone dark was the Takeda _shinobi_'s voice.

_'Oshu is far! Come to Kai with us, One-eyed Dragon!'_

Was he in Takeda's compound then?

Suddenly, the fog cleared from his mind and everything came back to him.

_…The fallen body of Azai Nagamasa._

_…The cries of his wife Oichi._

_…The intoxicated laughters of Akechi Mitsuhide._

_…And the blinding pain shooting through his body during that crazy bullet rain._

"That drunken bastard!"

If his memory was correct, at least Kojuro and Yukimura had not fallen victim to that tipsy scum.

Speaking of which, where were they now?

His single eye roamed about the room, but he could not make much from what little observation allowed in such darkness. Finally, his gaze following thin rays of moonlight passing through a gap between the s_hoji_ doors, he finally spotted a familiar silhouette sitting on the _engawa_. The small gap did not allow much view of the person, but there was no mistaking those brown locks spilling down that person's back.

He was about to call her when a voice cut him off.

"It's been a long day. You should rest now."

The enormous shadow he could see behind the _shoji_ doors left no speculation as to the owner of that voice.

So he was really in Takeda's compound then.

"Thank you, Shingen-dono , but I'd like to stay here for a little while longer."

Without preamble, the large shadow sat down at a respectable distance.

"I cannot express enough gratitude for your kindness, Shingen-dono. Without your help..." She did not finish the sentence, but he knew what she meant anyway.

"Do you hold a grudge against us for this?"

"We have decided our own actions, and this is the result. It has nothing to do with you or Uesugi-dono."

"...I see."

A silence ensued.

"You're Masayuki's daughter." It was not a question.

He could heard her soft gasp at the name she probably hadn't heard for a decade.

"How did you know?"

"When I first saw you, I immediately recognized that necklace."

"...I see."

"He was one of my best men."

"...So I've heard."

For a moment, there was only the sound of cicadas as both were probably deep in recollections.

"He'd asked me to name his son, but he had to go back to his clan before the birth. It seems he got a beautiful daughter instead."

Her head whirled to the older man in surprise. Masamune's brow shot up behind his fringe too. He knew her father had served Takeda for quite some time, but this information was totally unexpected.

"You gave me my name?"

"Ah."

"…Oh."

Another brief silence followed.

"How I wished I were born as a boy." Her voice was almost a whisper.

"...I heard what happened at Ueda Castle."

"..."

"After that, I tried to search for you but to no avail. ...I'm sorry."

She stared at the older man for a moment before shaking her head. From his point of view, it was difficult to discern the expression on her shadowed profile. "Please, Shingen-dono, you have nothing to apologize for."

The Tiger of Kai reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, and he could see her stiffen in yet another surprise.

"You've grown into a fine warrior, Yukimura. Masayuki would've been proud of you."

"Shingen-dono..."

"Remember you'll always have a home here."

The sound of cicadas rang loudly in his ears as the meaning of those words sank in.

"Thank you, Shingen-dono, but I belong to Masamune-dono now."

"I see... My offer will always stand though."

After clapping her shoulder, Takeda took leave. Yukimura sat still, her face tilted upward to the night sky.

Unbeknownst to her, he lain awake with his thoughtful gaze on her shadowed back long into the night before she finally got up and left.

In the night she had laid broken physically and mentally in the hospital, he had told her to come with him, and she had not protested, but if given a choice, would she rather go back to the Takeda where her father had loyally served almost all his life?

_'Thank you, Shingen-dono. But I belong to Masamune-dono now.' _

She had not explicitly refused the offer, but had used him as an excuse instead. At that moment, what had she been thinking?

Masamune blinked as the first rays of the morning sun streamed into the room. Had he been awake all night?

Shaking his head in frustration, he tried to sit up. Pain shot through his body, and he hissed irritably. Finally, he managed to get up and put some clothes over his bandaged torso.

Kojuro was going to be royally pissed, but he needed some exercise to clear his mind. As he reached for his sword, the door was slid open, followed quickly by an upset exclamation.

"Masamune-dono! What in the world are you doing!?"

"Getting up, obviously."

The cause of his insomnia quickly approached him with a look of worried vexation on her face. Kojuro would have been proud of her fuming look that probably rivaled his pissed-off one.

"You've lost so much blood yesterday! Please do not overexert yourself."

"I'm fine now."

"No, you aren't! Now be reasonable and lie back down, please."

"Hn."

When she took a good look of his face, her angry eyes softened.

"Masamune-dono?"

He cursed her perceptiveness and women's intuition in general. Well, it could not be helped that growing up with him for a decade had given her quite a good understanding of the subtle changes in his expression.

Touching his arm, she asked softly, "What's wrong?"

He stared back into those large brown eyes, now wide with concern. On the second thought, maybe he should just talk to her straightforwardly. He took a deep breath, and the question that had been pestering him all night was out of his mouth.

"Are you really okay staying with us?"

"What?"

"...I just want you to know that you don't owe me anything."

Yukimura stared at him in confusion. "Masamune-dono?"

The words were heavy in his throat, but he eventually managed to say them out. "If you want to leave, then I won't stop you."

Her head tilted to the side thoughtfully. "...You heard our conversation last night, didn't you?"

"..." Too full of complicated mixture of emotions, he remained silent.

After a moment of a staring match, Yukimura did what he had expected the least.

She pouted.

"Silly, silly Masamune-dono." There was no reprimand in her voice, only warmth and fondness.

"Huh?" Did she just call him silly?

A pair of arms circled his shoulders, and he stiffened in surprise. "I won't go anywhere even if you tell me to."

"Yuki?"

Her cheek was warm against his. "I'm more selfish than you think, you know?"

Was she selfish? Thinking about what he had seen of her for half of his life, this young woman was everything contradictory to selfishness.

He felt her cheek puff in a smile. "I'm happiest when you're around. Why'd I go away?""

Warmth blossomed within him, and he slowly hugged her back. Maybe it was alright for him too to be selfish sometimes.

"...Me too."


	11. Change

**A/N** As most of you probably already know, Shibata Katsuie is a character from Sengoku Basara 4. A part of this chapter is based on the official novel of this game.

* * *

**10\. Change**

The sun was sinking beyond the horizon, casting a blanket of gold across the fields of crops surrounding a small shrine. Cold winter breezes blew past two lone figures walking side by side along the wooden fence. One had a sword slung over his shoulder, and there was a pair of spears on the back of the other.

"Now Shibata-dono's probably in the kitchen, talking to the elder cooks." Yukimura commented out of nowhere, her normally pale face flushed from exercise.

An amused smirk spread across his lips. "I don't know what Katsuie finds so fascinating about those ghost stories."

"If he's happy, then there's no problem, isn't there?"

"Hn."

A comfortable silence fell between them for a moment before she spoke up again.

"About the reason you made him stay with us..."

"Hmm?."

"Katakura-dono seems to be brooding about it quite a lot lately."

"Let him think all he likes."

"...It's his eyes, isn't it?"

His feet stopped, and his surprised eye was turned to her.

"They're exactly the same as yours when I first met you."

His single eye looked at her thoughtfully. Maybe she knew him even better than Kojuro. His Right Eye had yet to figure out his real intention for taking in the Oda general. "You could say so."

"My guess was right, then?"

He did not answer. Instead, a sudden curiosity bubbled up in his mind, and before he knew it, the question flew out of his mouth. "How does it look now?"

She suddenly leaned closer, her face unreadable. "Let me see."

After a moment under her intense stare, despite himself he began to feel uncomfortable. "Well?"

"It's still blue."

"Huh?" She had also said something like that on the first day they had met. Of course it was. It would be quite creepy if his eye changed colours over time.

"But now it's much deeper... like the sea. And it's crystal clear like today's sky." She tilted her head to the side in thought before adding with a warm smile. "And it's shining like a lake under the morning sun."

At that moment, he could only stare at her in silent astonishment. Had he really changed that much?

Something soft and cold on his face recovered him from his loss of words. Raising his free hand to brush it off, the thing melted against the warmth of his hand. His eyes widened subtly in surprise as he looked up to the sky. It was the first snow of this year.

She was looking up too, a childlike fascination on her face, before a full smile spread across her lips.

The last rays of the sun were reflected by countless snowflakes dancing in the wind, turning the whole scenery into a natural display of fireworks.

"Beautiful." Her voice was soft, almost a whisper.

"Ah." His amused gaze fixed on her face, he reached out and brushed some snow of her cheek.

"Let's hurry before both of us catch a cold."

She was startled of her trance though by his touch or his voice he was not sure.

The hand on her cheek moved around her shoulder, and he pulled her closer.

"Masamune-dono?"

"Just a precaution." His voice was flat, but she giggled at him anyway.

Wordlessly, he resumed walking, and with his arm wrapped around her shoulder, she was forced to move along as well.

Maybe it was because of the cold fingers of the wind brushing through his hair, or maybe it was because of the soothing warmth from her small frame, in this moment he was not disinclined to share his private thoughts, something that did not happened so often. "It's all because of you and Kojuro. If it weren't for you two, I'd still be crawling in the dark."

He could feel her surprised gaze on him for a moment before she leaned a bit closer. "... I think the same goes for me too. And that's why I want to help you help him."

The frightfully empty eyes of the bob-haired warrior came to his mind. Now he did not have even a slightest clue how to make those dark voids shine once again. "It'll take quite some time."

"But with you by his side, he'll heal eventually. Just like me." Her soft voice was full of sincere conviction, and if there had been any lingering doubts in the back of his mind, he found them all gone now.

Since he had met her all those years ago, he had been dreaming of creating a world where everyone could embrace hope and look forward to the future. Somehow along the way, it seemed that had become her wish too.

As long as they walked on this path together, he had a feeling that the goal would be reached eventually.


	12. Regret

**A /N** A part of this chapter was adapted from episode 2 of season 2.

* * *

**11\. Regret**

_Date Masamune was in a very bad mood. To be exact, he was dangerously near the state of explosion._

_And the cause of all this was standing proudly in front of him with an impossibly infuriating expression on his masked face. _

_"Long time no see, Masamune-kun." Takenaka Hanbei's voice was smooth, almost like a lullaby._

_Trying to control the rage coursing through his whole being and failing mostly, Masamune managed to spit out with obvious venom in his normally calm voice. "Where are they?"_

_"Katakura-kun? Don't worry. We promise to treat him hospitably."_

_He glared at the masked man, wishing with all his being that his wrath alone would somehow reach across the distance and strike this audacious hanger-on to death. Having his father kidnapped by the enemy and being forced to end his life with his own hands was more than enough for Masamune, and now the two people whom he considered his family were taken away by the masked pervert. _

_To say that he was livid was beyond an understatement, but more importantly, he was also angry with himself for letting such thing happen right under his nose. _

_"What about her?"_

_"Oh, Yukimura-kun?" A satisfied, knowing smile spread below the mask. "Do you know, Masamune-kun, that she's your greatest weakness?"_

_His lone eye widened imperceptibly before narrowing dangerously. _

_"If you don't know already, Masamune-kun, anything related to weakness should be eliminated before you decided to face us."_

_Masamune decided that he had had enough of this nonsense. Faster than the eye could see, he pounced on the infuriating tactician, one of his swords held firmly in his hands. If Hanbei's reflex had not been fast enough, he would have been lying around in wretched pieces now. _

_Hanbei smiled behind their crossed blades. "Do not worry. Hideyoshi has already done you the favour."_

_Terror ran down his spine at those suggestive words. "What?"_

_"Sanada Yukimura can no longer threaten your prowess, Masamune-kun. Isn't this good news?"_

_For the first time in his life, his vision went crimson with fury. _

_"You'll pay for this here!"_

_The six claws of One-eyed Dragon were drawn instantly, and he wielded them with such grace and speed that all of them blurred into a deadly dance of gold, black and blue._

_In his flurry of rage, his mind went blank except for the words of Maeda vagabond from long time ago._

'Life is short, Dokuganryu. Make her happy while you can.'

_The words of Toyotomi's strategist were probably just a falsity, but a small part of him could not help thinking about the possibility. _

_Had she really been happy with him? If not, was it too late to rectify his blunder?_

"…ne-dono."

"?" Was he dreaming?

"Masamune-dono."

Finally, his disoriented mind recognized the voice, and his eye flew open. He was greeted by two big brown eyes staring at him worriedly from a proximity which would otherwise have been very uncomfortable. Her face was so close with brown locks cascading around it that he was left with little vision of where he was, and the candlelight was playing with hints of gold in her eyes. All he could gather now was that he was lying on a futon with the girl bending over him somewhere in the evening..

Yukimura gently touched his forehead, and it was then that he noticed how tense he was. "Are you alright? Did you have a nightmare?"

For a brief moment, he could only stare back at her in dumbfounded silence, and before he could think, his hands shot out from the futon and pulled her down on top of him, earning a surprised squeak from the brunette. She was soft and warm and real, and definitely not a figment of his wishful imagination. The last he had seen of her was the night she and Kojuro had been kidnapped, and he had always feared that there would not be next time.

"You're alive." He stated bluntly, not caring how dumb he might sound.

"I'm here." Her voice was muffled by his clothes, and he could not help but smile at their little conversation.

Laying her head over his heart, she said in almost a whisper, "Since your final battle with Toyotomi-dono, you've been unconscious for three days now. I was so worried."

Although he could see only the crown of her head, from the way her cheek was puffing against his chest, he could tell that she was smiling. As he combed through her brown locks absentmindedly with his fingers, the final death match came to his mind, and he briefly wondered how he had survived through it.

His hand moving from her hair to her face, he urged her to look up, and he could feel rage bubbled up from its buried depth. Here and there on her pale skin were traces of what must have been ugly bruises. "Did they hurt you?"

Yukimura shook her head. "No, not really."

When he just gave her a skeptical look, she elaborated her answer. "All Takenaka-dono did was just talk. I don't know why he even bothered, but he never really did any harm to me. And Toyotomi-dono simply just didn't care."

It was just so like her to address them with such honorific even after all Toyotomi had done to them. Anyway, those two were gone now, and it would be nonsensical to hold any further grudge against the dead.

As he traces his fingers over the bruises, the vagabond's words rang through his mind again.

_'Life is short, Dokuganryu. Make her happy while you can.'_

She started to fidget under his thoughtful gaze. "Masamune-dono?"

"Let's get married."

"Sure..." Her replied came out almost automatically before the meaning sank in. Her eyes widening almost comically, she sat up and spluttered simultaneously. "Eh!?"

Despite himself, he began to feel embarrassed. "I mean, if you would have me."

"Of... Of course I would!" He could see a deep blush creeping up her cheeks as her gaze shyly dropped to her hands. "It's just so... sudden."

His muscles protested loudly as he sat up, but he ignored pain. Cupping her cheek in his hand, he tilted her chin slightly so he could see her eyes in the dim light. With the flickering candlelight from a corner of the room, those brown orbs turned almost gold.

"Life is short. I don't want to waste any more time."

Closing her eyes, she leaned into his touch. "When I saw your broken sword, I… I…"

Although she did not finish the sentence, the lone tear gliding down her cheek conveyed all she felt.

Wiping the tear away with the pad of his thumb, he wondered what cosmic fluke had brought her into his life and made her care for him this much. Just when he had been about to lose himself to despair all those years ago, she had somehow made her way into his life and gave him hope, whether she meant to or not. When his soul had been on the verge of breaking, she had been there to redeem it.

He was who he was now because of her.

In that night, he had promised to protect her until she could surpass her father. Now he realized that he wanted to protect her forever.

Masamune was not one to openly express his feelings, but he decided to tell her directly before death could take the chance away from him.

"Yuki."

Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked at him questioningly. Aside from curiosity, he thought he could see what he felt for her mirrored in those brown orbs. "Yes?"

"I love you."

-_Owari_-


End file.
